It is conventional to use scalp protectors in hair coloring treatments in which certain selected hair strands are treated with hair discoloring reagents. These treatment techniques are often referred within the hair stylist or the beautician trade as "bleaching", "frosting", "streaking", "tipping", "accenting", "glazing", "haloing", "highlighting", "marbilizing", "naturalizing", "rainbowing", etc.
The practice customarily involves covering the scalp of a patron with a scalp protector containing a plurality of orifices for randomly withdrawing occluded hair strands located in the vicinity of the orifices through the orifices via a hooked instrument such as a crochet hook, and then chemically treating the withdrawn strands of hair.
The scalp protectors (as currently used by the trade) are generally designed to cover the entire scalp of the patron (reported as amounting to 120 square inches for an average American Caucasian female adult). When fitted with means of securing the protector onto patron's head, the protectors are typically equipped with chin straps. One of the most common practices is to use a rubber protector of a design similar to conventional elastomeric swimming cap having a plurality of orifices for hair strand withdrawal. The patron will assist the hair stylist throughout the hair treatment by pulling downwardly upon the lower outer lip of the scalp protector while the hair stylist withdraws and then treats the withdrawn strands. These elastic protectors are designed to be tightly drawn against the patron's scalp. Consequently, considerable matting of the hair, inability to withdraw the appropriate strands through the protector, discomfort pain and possible injury to the patron will occur. Moreover, the hair stylist cannot ascertain what the overall effect of treatment since withdrawal of the hairs is random and essentially completely occluded from the hair stylist's view.
In Kimball U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,150, there is disclosed a protective cover for dyeing selected locks of hair. The Kimball protective cover comprises an outer layer adapted to absorb excess liquid dye; a liquid impervious liner adapter for placement adjacent to the scalp, with the liner and outer layer being easily punctured to permit withdrawal of the locks, and the liner and outer layers being joined together and supplied as a flat piece that is foldable to fit a patron's scalp; and adhesive tabs to secure the folds of the cover after it is fitted on a patron's scalp. The design of this cover likewise envelopes the patron's entire scalp which renders the treatment random and occluded from the operator's view.
Mach U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,074 discloses a protective hair covering which is comprised of an inner and outer sheet of flexible material, with each sheet having a plurality of perforations therethrough; and means for securing said sheets together along marginal seams so that perforations of the inner sheet are offset with respect to the perforations of the outer sheet. The Mach protective hair covering is likewise designed to cover the entire scalp.
A still further full scalp protetive covering for use in hair curling is disclosed in Glick U.S. Pat. No. 2,575,589. The covering comprises a slitted perforated cap or pattern and an adjustable chin strap. The covering is used by placing the pattern over the head; drawing out portions of hair through slitted perforations in the pattern; applying a curler to the withdrawn hair portions; and removing the cap from the head by re-inserting the curler and curled hair through the patterned perforations.
Another protective device proposed for the treatment of hair, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,117, comprises a plurality of triangular sections of absorbent material pivotally connected at common apex so that the sections may be fanned outwardly in a circular fashion for emplacement upon substantially all of the user's scalp. Neerup U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,977 describes a hair dress protector designed to protect waved or curled hair from subsequent displacement or disarrangement. The protector, consructed of foam rubber, is adjustable and fits over side portions of both the frontal and lower scalp regions.